In a British Council report, international students are on the rise and are projected to hit 3.8 million students by 2024 – up over 3 million students just two years ago. Most of the growth is coming from China and India, where the report conclude that these two countries make up 35% of the global growth of international students. In fact by 2024, current forecasts show that China will have 855,000 international students abroad and India will send 376,000 students – together, they will make up a third of the world’s international student population.

Where are they studying?

Most international students are studying in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. With more countries trying to get some of the market, there are other countries looking to attract the best and brightest. Countries like China, Malaysia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia are just a few named in the report. According to this study, however, the majority of international students in 2024 will continue to be Chinese and Indian students primarily studying in the United States and the United Kingdom. Additionally, the British Council forecasts that the major destinations for international students will continue to be studying in the United States, Britain, Australia, Germany and Canada.

Importance

This is especially important as the University World News stated: “By 2024, India, China, Indonesia and the US would be home to more than half of the world’s 18- to 22-year-old population, ‘despite the fact that the Chinese tertiary-aged population is projected to fall by roughly 40 million in the next decade’.”

The Problem

These current projections are based on the overall economic success of the economy as well as their domestic educational system. With the dips in the economy, it could hurt the overall number of international students and null these British Council’s findings. If economic growth in China and India declines, the forecasted number of Chinese and Indian students would drop by an estimated 52,000 – and Germany could be #3 in the world’s sender of students abroad.